Jackpot interfaces and services on a gaming machine

• US 8,602,882 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/064,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20060073888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,213 Days
• Field of Search: 463/4, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a touch screen display with a touch screen controller integrated into the touch screen sensor assembly. Game service interfaces may be presented on the touch screen display that allow a user to obtain one or more game services. With the touch screen sensor, a user may navigate through the game service interface and supply information required to obtain a game service. Types of interfaces provided with the gaming machine include a jackpot interface for displaying one or more jackpots selected by the player or one or more jackpots that the player is eligible to win.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to generate and to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine;

an input mechanism under control of the master gaming controller for receiving cash or an indicia of credit for making wagers on an outcome of the game of chance;

an output mechanism under control of the master gaming controller for outputting the cash or the indicia of credit wherein the indicia of credit is redeemable for cash;

a memory for storing software instructions for generating a jackpot interface wherein the jackpot interface is for displaying a plurality of jackpots selected by a player to display, wherein the plurality of jackpots selected by the player include a plurality of personal jackpots associated with the player and that may only awarded to the player, wherein each of the plurality of personal jackpots has a value based on activities of the player, and wherein a probability of winning at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots is varied according to an amount of the at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots; and

a display for displaying a game service interface including the jackpot interface.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of jackpots is selected from a group of progressive jackpots.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of personal jackpots is funded based upon the particular player'"'"'s spending during gaming activities, non-gaming activities and combinations thereof.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a personal jackpot of the plurality of personal jackpots is awarded as a result of an event that occurs during a gaming related activity.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a personal jackpot of the plurality of personal jackpots is awarded as a result of an event that occurs during a non-gaming related activity.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a personal jackpot of the plurality of personal jackpots is awarded on a cashless instrument and an award amount stored on the cashless instrument is redeemable for cash or for additional game play at different gaming machine or table games.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a personal jackpot of the plurality of personal jackpots is awarded on a cashless instrument and an award amount stored on the cashless instrument is redeemable for additional game play and is not redeemable for cash.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a personal jackpot of the plurality of personal jackpots is awarded on a cashless instrument and an award stored on the cashless instrument is an amount of scrip wherein the scrip is redeemable for services and is not redeemable for cash.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of jackpots is a group jackpot and wherein the group jackpot is funded from activities of members registered in the group.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein only the registered members in a group are eligible for awards from the group jackpot.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein an award of one or more of the plurality of jackpots is stored on a cashless instrument and the cashless instrument has an expiration time.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the software instructions for generating the jackpot interface are executed by the master gaming controller.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first display is further for displaying the game of chance.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display is a first display, and wherein the gaming machine further comprising a second display for displaying the game of chance.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a player tracking unit coupled to the gaming machine, said player tracking unit comprising a logic device separate from the master gaming controller, a network interface for communicating with a player tracking server and a communication interface for communicating with the master gaming controller.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the software instructions for generating the jackpot interface are executed by the logic device.

17. The gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the first display is under control of the logic device.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a device interface for communicating with a hand-held computing device comprising a hand-held display, a logic device separate from the master gaming controller and one or more hand-held input mechanisms.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the hand-held computing device is adapted for one or more of controlling or providing input to the game service interface generated on the first display.

20. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the logic device executes software instructions for generating and displaying the jackpot interface on the hand-held display.

21. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the logic device executes software instructions for generating and displaying the jackpot interface on the first display.

22. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the game service interface is displayed on the hand-held display.

23. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the device interface is a wired or wireless interface.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising an output port on an outside surface of the gaming machine for providing one of a communication interface, a power interface or combinations thereof to a portable device.

25. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of video slot games, mechanical slot games, video black jack games, video poker games, video keno games, video pachinko games, video card games, video games of chance, bingo games, lottery games, dice games, keno games and combinations thereof.

26. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a touch screen coupled to the first display.

27. A method of providing a game of chance on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

generating a jackpot interface on a display device coupled to the gaming machine wherein the jackpot interface is for displaying a plurality of jackpots selected by a player to play, wherein the plurality of jackpots selected by the player include a plurality of personal jackpots that may only be awarded to the player, wherein each of the plurality of personal jackpots has a value based on activities of the player, and wherein a probability of awarding at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots to the player varies as a function of an amount of the at least one personal jackpot;

receiving a wager on the game of chance;

determining an outcome for the game of chance; and

displaying the outcome for the game of chance.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining an identity of the player and displaying the plurality of personal jackpots that only the player is eligible to win.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

funding the plurality of personal jackpots based upon the particular player'"'"'s spending during gaming activities, non-gaming activities and combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising varying a probability of winning at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots as a function of a time since the personal jackpot was last won.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising increasing the probability of winning at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots as the amount of the at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots increases or the time since the personal jackpot was last won increases.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising awarding at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots as a result of an event that occurs during a gaming related activity.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising awarding at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots as a result of an event that occurs during a non-gaming related activity.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising storing an award amount for at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots on a cashless instrument redeemable for cash or for additional game play at different gaming machines or table games.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising storing an award amount for at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots on a cashless instrument redeemable for additional game play but not redeemable for cash.

36. The method of claim 27, further comprising storing an award amount for at least one of the plurality of personal jackpots on a cashless instrument redeemable for services but not redeemable for cash.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more jackpots is a group jackpot and wherein only members registered in a group are eligible for awards from the group jackpot.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising determining the player is registered in the group and displaying the group jackpot on the jackpot interface.

39. The method of claim 37 further comprising determining the player is registered in the group and setting aside a portion of the wager for a contribution to the group jackpot associated with the group.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

sending the contribution to a remote gaming device.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving an update of the group jackpot from a remote gaming device and displaying the update on the jackpot interface.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising registering the player in the group wherein after the player is registered in the group they are eligible to win awards from the group jackpot.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

when a member of the group different from the player receives an award from the group jackpot, displaying an identity of the member on the jackpot interface.